


Last advice

by Sol_Invictus



Series: Unus pro omnibus, omnes pro uno [5]
Category: The Musketeers (2014)
Genre: Canon Divergence, Gen, Louis/Armand if you squint very hard
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-06
Updated: 2015-01-06
Packaged: 2018-03-06 08:45:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3128375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sol_Invictus/pseuds/Sol_Invictus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Richelieu's assassination attempt on the Queen will cost him his head. And the for the good of France, Louis has to let it happen.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Last advice

**Author's Note:**

> AU post-episode 9 of season 1. I initially wrote that for a Tumblr user.

Richelieu couldn’t say he was truly surprised by this twist of fate. He just thought it would take much more time for Louis to learn the truth about the assassination attempt on the Queen. He supposed he had to thank the musketeers for getting arrested in his palace in the middle of the night and thrown in a cell at the Bastille.

The door of the cell opened. Louis stepped in the room at Richelieu’s surprise. The cardinal didn’t even have the time to stand up and bow that the younger man was on his knees, in front of him, eyes threathening to let loose tears.

"I’m sorry, Armand. Oh I’m sorry-"

"Your Majesty, please."

The King seemed to calm down immediately, looking desperately at his minister.

"Your Majesty has nothing to beg forgiveness for. I am the only one responsible here. I let personal matters cloud my judgement."

"I’ll get you out of here."

"You know it is impossible. Soon enough Spain will hear about it. I already took some dispositions to ensure my replacement. His name is Mazarin, he is a very competent man. You can trust him-"

Tears were now falling freely on Louis’ cheeks. His voice was shaky and broken when he whispered:

"No,no, no! I need you, I can’t do it without you!"

Richelieu, who didn’t bother with the etiquette anymore, cupped his king’s face with his hands and looked at him in the eyes.

"You  _can_  do it and you  _will_  do it. Now listen to me closely: knowledge is power. Read. Read about all the subjects you can think of.”

Louis closed his eyes, tears still falling from his eyes. The cardinal felt his heart broke a little at the younger man’s state. If only he hadn’t had the stupidity to try to kill the Queen….

"I left a memoir for you in my office. It will help you in most situations, I think."

The king opened his eyes, despair written on his face.

"I can’t let you die, Armand."

"Yet you have to", on the verge of crying himself, Richelieu gave him a tender and sad smile. "You will become a great king, and accomplish a glorious destiny. Now go; prepare my trial and execute me. Do it for your kingdom."

Louis stood up, still crying and opened the door. The king turned back one last time to the cardinal, despair and sadness in his eyes, but his broken voice determined:

"Yes… Yes, I will… I will,  _for you_ …”


End file.
